Waldorf Pulse 2 is proof positive that good things can come to those who wait, because ever since this high-quality synthesizer developer discontinued its original rack-mountable Pulse and Pulse+ programmable analog monosynths boasting ballsy bass tones and legendary leads beyond compare, those 90s electronic music dominating sounds have been severely sought after by those in the know, which was exactly what drove Waldorf into development overdrive to produce an all-new Pulse fit for the 21st century.

As an all-new, all-analog synthesizer design, Pulse 2 flawlessly delivers exactly what synth connoisseurs around the world have been truly craving for quite some time: three analog oscillators living in perfect harmony with a VCF (voltage controlled filter). But Waldorf didn't stop there: the fresh filter circuits in Pulse 2 now offer 12dB high pass and band pass modes in addition to 24dB/12dB low pass for strengthened sound-sculpting flexibility. They also added analog filter FM, two overdrive circuits and ring modulation from OSC 3, together with paraphonic and unison modes allowing up to eight-voice chords.

Pulse 2 is housed in a sturdy metal desktop casing. Alongside its generous 128×64-character backlit LCD, eight eye-catching stainless steel knobs are available to nimbly navigate through the parameter matrix, logically laid out across the front panel for all to see at all times, set the master volume and easily edit display-accessible parameters.

Connectivity comes well catered for courtesy of USB, MIDI in, MIDI out, an external audio input, line out and headphone output — not forgetting, of course, CV out (supporting both the V/octave and Hz/V standards) and gate out (V-trigger- and S-trigger-compatible), allowing a myriad of suitably equipped older (or newer) synths to be connected to Pulse 2 to mirror whatever MIDI note information is being played by Pulse 2, including the output of its powerful arpeggiator. And if that's not enough to be getting on with, the CV out can even be modulated in the eight-slot modulation matrix, making for even more tantalizing tone colors and performance possibilities.

Alongside analog must-haves like a noise generator, pulsewidth modulation and hard sync, other notable features include an alternating pulsewidth modulation mode new to Pulse 2 (offering a dense PWM sound without affecting perceived loudness), and an XOR oscillator mode (that is a binary XOR combination of two PWM oscillators with two distinct output levels — high and low only — capable of producing inharmonic spectra unlike anything associated with any analog synthesizer other than the original Pulse) — all of which, of course, contribute to kickstarting those still sought-after sounds right here, right now in the 21st century. Speaking of which, 500 onboard sound programs should be more than enough to keep the most diehard synthesist smiling! What's more, all are backwards-compatible with the original Pulse series, so original Pulse owners can quickly transfer their favorite sounds to their new Pulse 2 via MIDI.

Thanks, then, to the timely arrival of the Pulse 2 analog synthesizer, readily reincarnated ballsy bass tones and legendary leads beyond compare can all be yours with much more besides in a truly 21st century compact and bijou performance package priced to go.

• 3 analog oscillators + 1 noise generator
• Pulse width modulation
• Hard sync
• Filter FM from oscillator 3
• Ring modulation from oscillator 3
• XOR oscillator mode
• 8- and 4-voice paraphonic modes
• Cascade filter
• 24dB/12db low pass, 12db high pass / band pass filter modes
• Powerful arpeggiator
• 8-slot modulation matrix
• USB
• MIDI
• External analog signal input
• Stereo line out
• Headphone out
• Backwards compatible with classic Pulse/Pulse+ patches
• 128×64 character backlit LCD
• 8 stainless steel knobs
• 500 sound programs
• Electron-absorbing black case